Rebirth, Renewal, Refreshed

I love the rebirth of spring, when I woke up this morning and watched the sun start to rise, I realized it is starting the labor pains. We have a few more days of cold ahead of us and maybe even a snow shower. I haven't seen my crocuses yet, although I know they are out there, maybe they will be brave enough to poke their little leaves out before the weekend is over.

I have an eastern facing front room, so I get to see the sunrise each day, it dances over the horizon and slowly lingers up the entire height of the giant old silver maple that is right outside my front door. This morning its soft rays made the little buds shine. Another promise that spring is close. I always worry when the first signs of spring appear, living in the mid-west there have been many spring time assaults by mother nature. The sap starts flowing the buds burst through with life and we get a flash freeze. Those are a mess to clean up.

That grand old tree out front has taken a beating the past few years from those very assaults. I worry often that she can only take so many more attacks before we have to cut her down. That would be heart breaking, my hubby planted that tree for his mom a long time ago, it is one of the few remaining links he has to the past, and I would hate to see it go away. We took out the nectarine tree a couple of years ago as a result of the spring freezes damaging it beyond repair. Luckily, the freezes haven't damaged the rest of them.

Today is the early spring sunshine. Slowly it will get up to 54 today, but that sun and south breeze will let it feel warmer. It seems to be beckoning all the winter weary to come outside and play. I expect by weekends end we will see a few more blades of green grass, tempting fate.

I love the spring rains too! Whether it is the gentle pitter patter that is softly watering the spring vegetable seeds that I have planted or the torrential downpours that make me thankful they replaced the drains a few years back. I remember when the flooding would come half way up the hill out front and the poor sump pump in the basement would almost burn itself out trying to keep up. Those rains feel renewing. The soft chill reminds me that spring is pushing winter aside.

Spring is so powerful to me. I feel the rebirth of the planet is linked to everything, everywhere I turn family and friends are making changes, starting anew, refreshed in their hopes and dreams. I feel that I am starting a new path, the old is still there for support, but like those tender buds I am starting branch out also.

Soon the flowers will pop up, the gardens will green up, sweet berries will fill the strawberry bed and the blueberry bush, the air will be warm and breezy and the old dreary winter will pass away into a beautiful, renewed spring. I feel a strong pull to continue to soak up the beauty that is awakening, celebrate the rebirths that are happening all around me, continue to nurture and feed my own dreams - the same as I do my gardens.

Spring feeds my impatience while slowing me down and forcing me to savor it all, it's so brief, it doesn't linger. It might be the same number of weeks as all the other seasons, yet it is so gracious that it always allows winter to linger and summer to rush in and steal the show.

I hope everyone takes the time to fully enjoy this gracious and fragile season... be sure to walk barefoot in the spring grass, snap a few pictures of those beautiful flowers that are emerging, go for a walk with your loved ones, and simply enjoy all these beautiful, gentle, brief gifts that nature is pouring down on us!

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